Children of the Heart
by Ghost in the Machine
Summary: Two and a half years after the failed wedding, Ukyo decides to move on with her life. However, not everyone is happy with her plans. An experiment in nonlinear storytelling.


Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Takahashi-sama and whomever she sold the rights to. I'm not in this for the money, just writing this for fun.  
  
-----  
  
After the disastrous wedding attempt, Ukyo had fallen into an acute depression. She trashed the Ucchan, trashed, fired and evicted Konatsu and then went out to trash herself. She had gone out one night with the deliberate intention of getting drunk and getting laid. She succeeded at the drunk part. Only the fact that the guy she picked to get her laid was too much of a gentleman had saved her virginity.  
  
She woke up the next morning with a hangover. After a brief panic attack, Ukyo noticed she was in her own bed, still in the low-cut dress she had worn the night before. There was a pitcher of water with mostly melted ice in it, a glass, a couple of pills and a note.  
  
Take the vitamins and drink all the water. Believe me, you  
will need them. I would suggest something greasy for  
breakfast as well. I wish I could have met you when you  
weren't hurting so much inside.  
  
The note was unsigned.  
  
"Maybe I'll be very lucky, and these will be poison," Ukyo muttered out loud before downing the pills and the first glass of water. Fortunately, they were in fact vitamins and therefore a great help. After a very long and very hot shower, Ukyo pulled herself together enough to get dressed and headed downstairs to think about getting breakfast.  
  
'Dang,' she told herself, surveying the damage. 'I did a better job on this than I thought.' She broke out her 'Closed Indefinitely for Repairs' sign and hung it on the front door. This being Nerima, she had used it a few times since her arrival. Her customers would come back when she was ready to reopen. They always did.  
  
The damage was heavy enough that she decided to eat out. Then she decided to eat really out. She didn't feel like running into anyone she knew. She hopped the first train that came into Nerima station. After about 15 minutes, Ukyo got off and looked around for the first restaurant she could find.  
  
At the end of her second cup of coffee, her mind made the mistake of drifting back to Akane and Ranma's attempted wedding. 'What was I thinking? Am I that hateful? That pitiful? That... desperate?' After a brief mental review of her recent behavior, she came to a conclusion. 'Desperate. Definitely desperate... Ran-chan will never want to see me again.' The coffee cup shattered in her hand. Fortunately, it had been almost empty, so there wasn't much of a mess.  
  
After the waitress had replaced the broken cup and filled it, Ukyo's internal monologue continued. 'Be it resolved: Saotome Ranma and Kuonji Ukyo will never wed. I blew any chance of getting Ranma at the wedding. At least Shampoo and Kodachi blew it too. He's made his choice and I'm going to have to live with it. Whether I want to or not. But I'm not about go start pretending to be a boy again. That was just stupid.'  
  
After deciding that Ranma would never be her lover, Ukyo figured that she would be willing to settle for being his friend. 'I hope I haven't blown that too. I better lay low a while before trying to fix that mess. Hmm. I really need to apologize to Konatsu too.'  
  
-----  
  
With one thing and another, two and a half years passed.  
  
(For details, read the side stories "Children of the Heart - Quarter Decade", "Children of the Heart - The Cure" and "Children of the Heart - Final Battle". In fact, if you go read them you can skip the recap below.)  
  
Ranma is married to Akane and teaching regular classes at the Tendo/Saotome School of Martial Arts.  
  
Akane is five months pregnant and is a freshman at Gakushuin University with an Undecided major. Because of the pregnancy, she is getting as many of her core requirement courses out of the way this year as possible.  
  
Nabiki has started her sophomore year as a Finance major at Stanford. She is seriously considering switching to Business Administration.  
  
Kasumi is engaged to Dr. Tofu and works at 'Ukyo's As You Like It'. Ukyo has moved her restaurant to the former location of the Cat Cafe.  
  
Nobody knows were Dr. Tofu is, but he shows up at Christmas time each year and has promised to return.  
  
Ukyo is taking a couple of business classes at a local technical school and teaches a small class on Okonomiyaki Martial Arts two nights a week at the Tendo/Saotome School of Martial Arts.  
  
Nobody knows where Konatsu is.  
  
Nobody cares where Tsubasa is.  
  
Kuno Tatewaki is a Literature/Finance double major at the same school as Akane. He's relatively sane now.  
  
Kuno Kodachi is still a loon, but she's a loon somewhere else.  
  
Pantyhose Taro's new name is "Chon Wang" and he works as a stuntman in Hong Kong.  
  
Shampoo officially gave up on Ranma and went back to China.  
  
Mousse is a waiter in the best Chinese restaurant in downtown Tokyo. Needless to say, he's not with Shampoo.  
  
Cologne is dead. (We hope.)  
  
Happosai is dead. (We hope. At least he went out in style.)  
  
Ryoga and Akari are married and living on the (now) Hibiki Farm. Ryoga's intermittent dyslexia has finally been properly diagnosed.  
  
Soun has given up smoking and teaches a few classes at the Tendo/Saotome School of Marital Arts. He is dating the mother of one his Intermediate Kempo students.  
  
Genma teaches an Advanced Kempo class and supervises the weekly "Open Practice" session at the Tendo/Saotome School of Martial Arts. This is primarily to get away from Nodoka.  
  
Nodoka desperately wants her grandchild to be a boy so she can see him raised as a "man among men". Everyone else is hoping for a girl for that very same reason.  
  
-----  
  
A chime rang as the door opened, signaling Ukyo to stop reading her accounting homework and to pay attention to her customer. Not that she'd been paying much attention to the accounting homework. There were other things she was worrying about.  
  
"Irasshaimase!", Ukyo said with professional courtesy before noting that it was Akane who had come through the door.  
  
"Akane! How are you doing?" Akane's pregnancy was beginning to show. It was something that Ukyo had been observing closely.  
  
"Oh, I'm fine. Now that I don't have morning sickness anymore, I've been packing on weight. I've gained 4 kilos so far. I'm going to be a whale by time the baby comes."  
  
"Well you don't exercise like you used to," Ukyo noted.  
  
Akane nodded in agreement. "Tai chi doesn't burn calories like Anything Goes. Plus I'm not teaching any classes right now. But I still get hungry."  
  
"I know a request when I hear one. What'll it be?"  
  
"Make it a vegetarian with extra cabbage."  
  
"Coming right up," Ukyo said as she reached for a pitcher of batter. "So what brings you here? If you wanted okonomiyaki, Kasumi could have made you one. She's -almost- as good as me. Not that I haven't picked up a trick or two from her..."  
  
"Just had an ultrasound." Akane smiled and pulled a piece of paper out of her purse which she then handed to Ukyo. Ukyo looked at it, but all she could see was a bunch of lines that outlined a weird shape. "I can't make heads or tails of it either, but my OBGYN says it's a girl."  
  
"That's great," Ukyo told her friend before turning her attention back to the food she was preparing. Moving with a deft precision, Ukyo finished cooking and wrote 'Congratulations' on the hot okonomiyaki in sauce. "This one's on me."  
  
"Thanks," Akane replied and dug in.  
  
Ukyo had to deal with another customer, but after that, she waited until Akane had finished before bringing up what she had been thinking about off and on for the last couple weeks.  
  
"Akane, I've been thinking about having a baby of my own."  
  
Akane just sat there, dumbfounded, not saying a word for the longest thirty seconds Ukyo could remember. All of a sudden, her stupor was terminated by one word. "WHAT?!"  
  
"I've always wanted to have children. For a long time, I wanted to have them with Ranma, but hey, I lost out there."  
  
"I didn't know you were even seeing anyone." Akane couldn't quite believe she was hearing.  
  
"I'm not. Not that a few guys from school haven't asked me out. A few customers too. But I don't know if I'll ever marry anyone, now that you've got Ranma."  
  
"But then how..."  
  
"Sperm donor."  
  
Half a dozen questions wandered through Akane's mind trying to be the first one to get out. As a result, the one that made it sounded more like a statement.  
  
"You're just going walk into a clinic somewhere and say 'I'll take a shot of premium.'?"  
  
"Certainly not. I was hoping to talk you and Ranma in-"  
  
"No! Absolutely not! Forget about that idea right now."  
  
"I'm not going to take a donation from a stranger, so that cuts down my options right there."  
  
"What about Kuno? Or Mousse? Or... or Konatsu?"  
  
"I haven't seen Konatsu in over two years, have you? And besides, he'd want to marry me. I don't want to get married. I don't need to get married. I'm making enough money now to support myself and a child."  
  
"That could change real fast if you become an unwed mother."  
  
"Worse comes to worse, I and the baby move to Kyoto or someplace and put out a story that I'm a young widow. I can make money with okonomiyaki anywhere. I grew up on the road with my dad remember."  
  
"It's different for a single father."  
  
"Trust me. I can do this." Ukyo paused briefly before continuing. "As for Kuno, I don't think he'd do it. And with his family history, I wouldn't risk it even if he offered. Mousse, on the other hand, is just barely within the realm of possibility." Ukyo held up her right hand, her thumb and forefinger scant millimeters apart.  
  
Akane relaxed a notch upon hearing this. There was a break in the conversation as Ukyo had to deal with a fresh batch of customers. This gave Akane some desperately need thinking time. She wasn't able to come up with much before Ukyo returned for the next round.  
  
"What about adoption?" Akane asked. It was the best idea she could come up with. "There are a lot of children who need homes."  
  
"I actually looked into that." Ukyo sighed and continued, "It's not an option. There are too many legal and financial problems. Besides, honestly, I want -my- child, not some stranger's."  
  
"I think I understand," Akane responded while absently rubbing her own stomach.  
  
"Now where were we? Oh yeah, Mousse. Like I said, barely possible. He might just donate if I ask him to, and he probably wouldn't insist on marrying me. Unlike say... Gel."  
  
"Isn't Gel back in China? Besides, he's too young."  
  
"He is at that, even if he's a sweet kid. But I'd bet you he'd be willing."  
  
Akane rubbed her temples. "This is giving me a headache. Can't you just wait? Most Japanese women don't even get married until their mid twenties. Do you have to do this right now? You're only nineteen."  
  
"No, I don't have to do this now, but I am planning for it now."  
  
"I'm sure there's a perfect guy out there for you. One that'll make you as happy as I am with Ranma."  
  
'Yeah, but you married him first,' Ukyo thought to herself. For a brief second, Ukyo's mind flashed back to the note that guy had left for her the night she'd got drunk over two years ago. She still had it, pressed away in a favorite cookbook. Aloud, she replied, "I'm not most Japanese women, and neither were you."  
  
"Look, I'm glad I married Ranma. I was willing to marry him the first time. But I'm more glad that we waited. Maybe if you wait, things will work out."  
  
"And maybe they won't. I'm not willing to wait for a maybe. Not when I'm ready now."  
  
"Are you? Are you -really- ready? I'm five months pregnant, and I'm not ready to be a parent."  
  
"Is anyone? Look at your husband and his parents. Ranma turned out all right, but I wouldn't call either of his parents good role models as far as parenting skills go."  
  
"Well I can understand why you don't like Genma, but what do you have against Nodoka?" Akane asked with honest curiosity.  
  
"She had all of you convinced that she was going to enforce that suicide pact Ranma signed when he was a baby."  
  
"But she didn't."  
  
"Well lucky you," Ukyo responded sarcastically. Upon seeing Akane's change of expression, she returned to a more normal voice. "Ranma was convinced that his own mother wanted to kill him. His father thought so too. Your whole family thought she'd kill him, otherwise you wouldn't have done so much to hide him when she showed up."  
  
Akane knew Ukyo was right, but didn't want to say anything that sounded like an admission. Fortunately for Akane, another customer wandered in which drew Ukyo's attention and Akane made good her escape. Unfortunately, Ukyo was due at the dojo that evening to teach her class in Okonomiyaki style martial arts. Akane had only suspended the conversation, she hadn't ended it.  
  
-----  
  
Okonomiyaki Martial Arts incorporates both martial arts and cooking. That night, the lesson called for making 'rubber' yakisoba noodles and the basics of how to use them once they've been made. Unfortunately, one of the students 'pulled an Akane' and managed to set her noodles on fire. After cleaning up the mess -that- made, Ukyo decided to call it a night early.  
  
Ukyo approached the main house with some trepidation. She really only wanted to talk some more with Akane. Ukyo was upset that Akane had left before their talk was really over. But she didn't want to run into Ranma just yet. In fact, she hoped that Akane hadn't even mentioned anything to Ranma. If Ukyo was to get Ranma to be the father of her child, she would have to tread carefully, doing each necessary step in order, just like following a complex recipe.  
  
It was definitely Ranma that she wanted in the role of donor. Although she had told Akane that Mousse was a possibility, in reality Mousse was a distant third choice. And there was no fourth choice. The fact that Mousse had saved her life during the final battle with Cologne was the main reason he was even a remote possibility. But would he being willing to become a father without being married? Ukyo had said so, but she wasn't really sure.  
  
Although she didn't know Tofu-sensei that well, he was Ukyo's second choice. Besides, he was a doctor. He could be clinical about it. Too bad he only showed up for three weeks a year around Christmas time. (And spent just about every second of it with Kasumi doing who knows what. Kasumi had never said, but she got that real interesting look in her eyes whenever her fiance came up in conversation.)  
  
Ranma was far and away the best man she knew. She could understand why Cologne had wanted him for the Joketzu. Handsome, strong, intelligent when he wanted to be, nice buns... Ukyo got a grip on herself before her imagination ran into channels that would get her in trouble. The fact that he was married to Akane meant that he wouldn't try to marry her. The fact that she was Ranma's best friend meant he might be willing to donate. But then again, maybe he thought of her as a sister, which would mean it would be some weird type of incest...  
  
'Get a grip Kuonji, if Ranma says anything like that, steer him someplace else.' For a brief moment, she wished Nabiki was there. For enough money, she'd have gotten Ukyo a sperm sample and no one would have known what hit them until it was too late.  
  
'But that's not the way I want this to happen. I've got to keep everything above board and honest. No lies. No half truths.' She let herself in and went to the living room.  
  
Ukyo saw Ranma and Soun sitting in the living room among a pile of papers and notes that were strewn around them.  
  
"Oh, hi Ukyo," Ranma piped up upon seeing her.  
  
"Hi Ranma, Tendo-san. What's up?"  
  
"The Tendo/Saotome School of Martial Arts has been invited to send representatives to the city-wide tournament that is coming up," Soun replied.  
  
"Yeah, we're officially big enough to get an invite," Ranma said proudly. "Right now, we're trying to decide who to send in which division. Do you think any of your students are ready for the Weapons divisions?" Ranma asked tapping the pen in his hand.  
  
Ukyo welcomed the distraction and thought about it for a second. "Mori Ichiro. Is there a juniors' tourney?"  
  
Ranma looked for a piece of paper while Soun replied, "The categories are Freehand, Weapon and Open. The age brackets are 12 and under, 13 to 15, 16 to 18, Open, Masters, which are for those who are 35 and up and Seniors, which is 50 and up. Finally, there are separate divisions for men and women, but a woman may compete in the men's division if she chooses."  
  
"Thanks," Ranma told his father-in-law while putting down one piece of paper and picking up another and making a note on it.  
  
"Oh, there is no Open category for the 18 and unders," Soun put in. "And I'm not sure if they'll allow a metal combat spatula in the junior divisions. We might need to come up with a wooden substitute. Also, no thrown weapons or bows will be allowed in any category."  
  
"No problem. That means Mori'd have to be in the 13 to 15 Male Weapons tourney. If you don't want him for Freehand, I'd say ask him."  
  
"I was thinking Kondo Sogo for 13 to 15 Male Freehand. We're only allowed one entrant per category," Ranma responded.  
  
"Entering Kondo Sogo could be seen as favoritism. I am dating his mother after all," Soun explained.  
  
"He's still the best we've got for that division," Ranma countered.  
  
Ukyo figured that distraction time was over. "Listen guys, as fascinating as all this is, I really came in to talk to Akane."  
  
"She said she was tired and had a headache, so she went to bed early," Ranma answered.  
  
'Just freaking great, now she's avoiding me,' Ukyo thought to herself. Forcibly resetting her normally sunny disposition, Ukyo looked around for a semi-clear spot on the floor, sat down and decided to help discuss candidates.  
  
After a few minutes of discussion, her own name came up.  
  
"What category do want to be in?" Ranma asked.  
  
The request came as something of a surprise. "I haven't been in a formal tournament in years."  
  
"Neither have I, but since me and Akane can't be in this one, I was hoping you'd represent us."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Soun explained, "Akane is pregnant, and even if she were not, Ranma and Akane are the heads of the Tendo/Saotome School of Martial Arts. As such, they are not eligible to compete. Only their students and instructors are able to enter."  
  
"You guys consider me an instructor?"  
  
"Well sure, and you're a student in my Anything Goes class anyway."  
  
"Wow, thanks. What's still available?"  
  
"All the Women's Open stuff. We can enter you in more than one category, but I wouldn't try more than two. Scheduling could get hairy if you need to be in three places at once."  
  
"What about the Men's Open Open?"  
  
"If I could, I'd take Men's Open Open and Men's Open Freehand. But since I can't, Pops is probably the best choice there. If we can get him to compete."  
  
"Your father? C'mon, -I've- clobbered your father before."  
  
"Only 'cause he was surprised when you tracked him down. You really think you can take him in a tournament setting?"  
  
While Ukyo pondered the question, Soun said, "I myself will be competing in Men's Master Freehand and Men's Master Open. It will be nice to compete again."  
  
"Men's Open Weapon?"  
  
"If that's what you want. I heard Kuno's going to be in Men's Open Weapon. I'm pretty sure you could win Women's Open Weapon or Women's Open Open. If you're looking for a challenge, Women's Open Freehand might be better. See how good your weaponless skills are."  
  
"What's life without a challenge? Sign me up for Women's Open Freehand and Men's Open Weapon. When is this supposed to happen anyway?"  
  
Ranma looked around for a moment before spotting the information he was looking for. "We have to turn in our entry form by the end of next week. The tourney itself is next month. On the 20th and 21st."  
  
"That's cool. Wait a sec, how much is this going to cost me? Most tournaments have entrance fees."  
  
"Don't worry about it. We, meaning the dojo, have still got a lot of money from when we sold that demon. So this year at least, the dojo is going to cover the entry fees."  
  
"That's awfully nice of you. Nabiki will have a coronary when she finds out."  
  
Ranma snorted and waved in response. "I'll call it an advertising expense."  
  
"Is that a business sense I detect there Ranma?" Ukyo asked in mock seriousness.  
  
"Came with running the dojo I guess," Ranma replied offhandedly. "Kami knows I can't afford what Nabiki would charge. Even with a 'family discount'."  
  
The mention of money fueled Ukyo's next statement. "Maybe I can work out of the yattai between bouts."  
  
"That'd be nice, but you'll have to take it up with the tournament committee. I've got the address here someplace." With that, Ranma started looking around again until he realized he already had what he was looking for in his hands. He handed her the slip with the address and the three of them returned to discussing which students to place in which brackets.  
  
-----  
  
By the time Ukyo stood back up, it was nearly midnight. Kasumi had already closed up the shop, come home and gone to bed. Of the thirty total divisions, they were sending ten entrants in fourteen categories. They had no one who was old enough for the Senior divisions and no women good enough to compete in the Women's Masters age range. Only three of the fourteen divisions entered were for weapon users.  
  
They decided to enter Ysuchiya Yasueh in the Girls 12 and under Weapon category. She was the best freehand fighter they had in her age range and was also the school's Girls 12 and Under Freehand representative. She had no formal weapon training. She just liked hitting things with sticks. Yasueh-chan reminded everyone (except Akane) of an eleven year old Akane. Ranma swore he'd have her ready by tournament time.  
  
Ukyo yawned, stretched and asked Ranma to let Akane know that she wanted to talk to her as soon as possible. Ranma assured her that he would do so. At which point she said her goodbyes and went home for the night.  
  
-----  
  
Akane didn't come by the next day, or the day after. Ukyo used the time do catch up on some class work and schedule an appointment with her OBGYN. She had a class scheduled at the dojo for the next evening. The plan was to have the whole pregnancy thing out with her then. Akane pushed up the time table.  
  
It was Thursday afternoon. The lunch rush was over and the after school mini-rush hadn't started yet. The place was, for once and by some minor miracle, empty. 'I really need to hire a waitress or two. Maybe get someone from school or from Furinkan High. Things ran pretty smooth those times Ranma was helping me out. There's enough business now that I can afford it. And better service should get me more business. Maybe Kasumi knows somebody who wants a job.'  
  
Ukyo sighed and started working on her Finance essay when the door chime rang unexpectedly. She knew it was trouble when she saw Akane, Ranma, Genma, Nodoka and Soun all come in at once. Of the five of them, only Nodoka was smiling.  
  
'Damn, Akane must of blabbed,' was Ukyo's first coherent thought after the bottom dropped out of her stomach. "If one of you would be so kind as to put up the 'Closed' sign, I'm sure we can all discuss this like rational adults."  
  
Without a word, Ranma reached back and slid the sign from 'Open' to 'Closed'. Ukyo came out from behind the counter and led the group to one of the larger tables, where all six could sit at once. Clockwise it went Ukyo, Nodoka, Genma, Ranma directly across from her, Akane and Soun.  
  
Ukyo offered to serve tea, but the offer was refused with various levels of politeness. Wondering what the final result might be, Ukyo started speaking. "All right then. First, a few ground rules. If anyone starts yelling at me, this discussion is over. I'm not about to be browbeat in my own restaurant."  
  
"We're not here for that," Akane stated quietly.  
  
"Thanks, but I wasn't done yet. Second, nobody interrupts me. I don't interrupt you. You don't interrupt each other. We won't get anywhere if we're all talking at once." There were a few nods from around the table. "Finally, I am -not- asking to become Ranma's mistress here." In the back of her brain a small portion continued, 'Not that I'd mind', while other portions grabbed the first, tying it down and gagging it.  
  
There was a brief silence. Soun was the one to break it. "So, you intend to have a child, whether Ranma is the father or not?"  
  
"Yes. At some point in the next year or two, I plan to have a child. I would like Ranma to be the father."  
  
"Akane mentioned something about Mousse being a possible donor." Soun observed.  
  
"Mousse is my third choice. My second choice would be Tofu-sensei." Ukyo waited for the ripple caused by that announcement to die down before continuing. "You already know who my first choice is."  
  
"You have no intention of marrying the father, whomever he is?" Soun asked. By this time she felt that Soun would be doing most of the talking.  
  
"None. I have no desire to marry anyone at this time. If Akane told you everything about our conversation on Monday, then you should already know that."  
  
Nodoka reached over and patted Ukyo's hands. "There, there dear, I'm sure Soun-san is just trying to make sure he has his facts straight."  
  
"So... Mrs. Saotome, what's your opinion of all this?"  
  
"Oh, it doesn't bother me all. I hope Ranma decides to help you with this." She received various looks of shock from around the table. Ranma's eyes got the biggest. Ukyo couldn't see her own expression, but guessed Akane would have edged her and Soun for second. Genma merely gave his wife a narrowed glance.  
  
"Y-Y-You don't mind?" Ranma squeaked, his voice reaching a pitch it hadn't seen since his curse was cured.  
  
"Of course not my son. If you were to have a mistress, Kuonji-san would be an excellent choice," Nodoka replied. Ranma flat out boggled, and Ukyo's heart was gladdened by having an unexpected, if slightly surreal, ally.  
  
"After all, she is pretty, intelligent, and successful. Nothing to be ashamed about there. But if she only seeks your child instead of your bed, I have no trouble with that." Upon seeing the expressions of the rest of the table Nodoka finished, "There is nothing unmanly about having a mistress, or fathering a child out of wedlock. It may not be considered polite these days, but it certainly isn't unmanly."  
  
It took a minute before the shaken Soun pulled himself together to make his next point.  
  
"You believe you can afford the cost of raising a child?"  
  
"I believe so. The only time I've lost anything in business was the time the Konatsu put money in the okonomiyaki. I own this building outright, and I owned my old shop as well. After all, I bet the deed to the place when the Gambling King came to town. Remember?"  
  
"I do. But what if your business fails?"  
  
Ukyo thought, 'For a man who had negligible income for 11 years, he's got a lot of gall.' Aloud she responded, "I think I've proven I can make money with okonomiyaki anywhere. If I started to steadily lose money here, I'd sell the building, take about a 20 million yen profit on it and start up someplace where the cost of living is a bit lower. Maybe Matsui or Kitakyushu or someplace else out west."  
  
Genma's eyes lit up the mention of 20 million yen. Maybe he should have taken her along when he took the yattai.  
  
"Very well, I grant that affording to care for your child will not be too much of a burden," Soun stated.  
  
'Awful magnanimous of you,' Ukyo thought.  
  
Soun continued, "But every child needs a father."  
  
Ukyo had expected this argument. She wasn't completely happy with it herself. There were just too many variables. But she would do her best anyway. "Tendo-san, I recognize that as a valid concern. I grew up without a mother. As did Akane and Ranma, but I swear this: I will not prevent the father from having an influence on his child."  
  
"I trust Ranma and Tofu-sensei and even Mousse. I trust them to keep the child's best interests at heart. I trust them to trust that I can raise their child with or without them. I promise to tell my child the truth about his or her father as soon as the child is old enough to understand it, if not before then."  
  
"So Ranma, or Tofu, or Mousse could see the child whenever they wished?" Soun asked.  
  
"Or not at all. There would of be limits of course. No training trips over a week unless I go along and none that would interfere with school."  
  
Genma spoke for the first time, "What about grandparents?"  
  
"That would depend on who the father is. I don't know if Tofu-sensei's or Mousse's parents are even alive."  
  
"Doc's mom is still alive. Me and Akane have met her," Ranma said, speaking for the first time since turning down tea.  
  
"Well I'd say it depends on the grandparents then. I don't want to force anyone out of my child's life, but I'm not going to force anyone in."  
  
-----  
  
The conversation lasted another hour. If there hadn't been classes to teach at the dojo, it probably would have gone on. Ukyo had grasp of almost everyone's opinion. Nodoka was clearly in her corner. Genma didn't seem interested one way or the other. But he'd said nothing that indicated that he was against the idea. Akane wasn't truly opposed to the concept of Ukyo having a child. She wasn't happy that Ukyo intended to do so alone. She was opposed to Ranma being the father. Soun had argued the most against all parts of her plan, from conceiving a child out of wedlock, to raising it without a father, to Ranma being the father. The only ground he'd given was that Ukyo could afford to care for a child. Ranma was the key to everything. Of those present, only Ranma's opinion was a mystery to her.  
  
When the time was pointed out, and everyone got up to leave, Ukyo just flat out asked, "Ranma, will you even consider this? I'm not asking for a yes or no. I just want to know if there is any possibility of this happening."  
  
Ranma took a look at the other people present with Akane getting the longest glance and said, "I've gotta think about this." He then led the others out of the restaurant.  
  
Ukyo took a few minutes to regain her equilibrium before reopening. Business was brisk as Kasumi arrived to help with the dinner rush. Once things tailed off, Ukyo prepared to go teach her class at the dojo. Kasumi stopped her before she could leave.  
  
Giving Ukyo a gentle hug, she said, "I don't know how it will happen, but I hope this all works out for you. Somehow."  
  
"Thanks Kasumi." Ukyo hugged her friend back before leaving for the dojo.  
  
-----  
  
Ukyo taught her Thursday night Okonomiyaki Martial Arts class and left without trying to talk to anyone. During her Saturday Anything Goes class, Ranma quietly informed her that he was still thinking about it and that it would take him some time. The students who would be competing in the upcoming tourney were asked to come in for additional instruction, free of charge. All seven of them agreed. Although there were a few hurt feelings among those who had not been chosen, the Tendo/Saotome School of Martial Arts pulled itself together for its first major tournament.  
  
-----  
  
When Ukyo came back from her Monday morning classes, Mousse was in the restaurant, quietly chatting with Kasumi while eating an okonomiyaki. Both of them had turned toward her when the chime rang. Kasumi looked much as she always did. Mousse had a fresh bruise on his temple and a sober look on his face.  
  
"Let me guess. You just talked to Ranma and he told you to come see me."  
  
"That is correct Kuonji-san. I believe we have something to discuss." Mousse took off his glasses and polished them on his sleeve.  
  
"Kasumi, can you hold down the fort while I talk to Mousse?"  
  
"I was planning on it."  
  
"Thank you." Ukyo then turned to Mousse and said, "Follow me, I'd rather do this in my room." Ukyo turned to lead, but Mousse didn't get up to follow. After a split second look at Mousse's face, Ukyo figured out the problem.  
  
"Mousse, get your mind out the gutter. We are going upstairs to talk. NOT anything else."  
  
Mousse nearly fell off his stool, but righted himself and followed Ukyo through the door that said 'DO NOT ENTER'. Up the stairs and down the hall to what had been Cologne's room when this had been the Cat Cafe. Mousse looked around the room, seeking a trace of its former resident. He found nothing, as Shampoo had carefully cleaned out the room and its many secret compartments.  
  
Ukyo sat on her bed while Mousse sat down on the chair in front of Ukyo's desk. Neither spoke for a moment, but Ukyo could see that Mousse was getting more and more uncomfortable. Instead of embarrassing him to death, she decided to speak first. "I take it Ranma told you that I want to get pregnant?"  
  
Mousse was blushing fiercely when he answered, "Yes, but that's not why I'm here."  
  
"He also said you were on my list of possible donors, right?  
  
Mousse let out a deep breath. "Yes, -that's- why I am here. I'm honored. After all, Shampoo never thought I was good enough to father her children."  
  
"You do realize that you are my third choice?"  
  
"Well, I figured Sao... Tendo Ranma was first. Who's second? Not Hibiki?"  
  
"No," Ukyo replied firmly. "He'd faint if I even mentioned this to him. Besides, he's not the type I'm looking for."  
  
"Not Kuno?"  
  
"Ugh. That's even worse. I don't care how much better he's got. His whole family tree is full of loons."  
  
Mousse's face suddenly acquired a ghastly look. "Not... not Saotome Gen-"  
  
The name 'Genma' was cut off by a large spatula to the head. "Don't even go there. Tofu-sensei. All right? First choice is Ranma, then Tofu-sensei, then you," Ukyo bit out.  
  
Mousse pulled himself together before speaking. "Tofu-sensei eh?" He pondered a bit before asking, "What does Kasumi think about that?"  
  
"As far as I can tell, she doesn't care as long as she gets to marry him. At least she told me that she 'wishes me well'."  
  
"Well, if he's true to form, you'll get to ask him sometime around Christmas."  
  
"I plan to. If Ranma and Tofu-sensei turn me down, you and I wouldn't be doing anything about this until after New Year's."  
  
The two spoke for a while after that. Mousse didn't have the same concerns that Soun and the others had. He never mentioned money or questioned Ukyo's ability to support a child. He never questioned Ukyo's wanting to have a child 'now'. The fact Ukyo had no intention of marrying Mousse should he be the father was met with surprising calm. When Ukyo mentioned that the father of her child would not be shut out of the child's life, Mousse thought her very generous.  
  
Mousse's primary concern was that, if he were the father, the child might suffer from undue prejudice for being half-Chinese. Ukyo told him not to worry about it. Surprisingly enough, Mousse let it drop right there. Needless to say, he agreed to be the donor if both her other choices fell through.  
  
After Mousse left, Ukyo was somewhat relieved. She now knew, barring complications, that she would be a mother by the end of next year. It was no longer a matter of if and when. It was now a matter of whom and how. The entire project had just gone from planning to execution.  
  
Ukyo went downstairs and let Kasumi go home. After all, Kasumi would be covering for her when she went to her OBGYN the next day.  
  
-----  
  
Ukyo's gynecologist refused to have anything to do with the procedure. So did the first five groups of fertility specialists that she contacted after that. Ukyo simply kept looking for an OBGYN or fertility practice who would take her seriously. It took a week, but by tracing rumors and doing legwork, Ukyo found her new OBGYN.  
  
Eguchi Miki-sensei was a grey-haired female OBGYN in her late forties who had a number of lesbian clients. She also had prior experience with 'single' mothers and donated sperm. The fact she used a warmed instrument tray during examinations was what sold Ukyo on her.  
  
The two talked almost constantly during the examination. By the time it was over, Eguchi-sensei was as impressed with her new patient as the other way around.  
  
"Well, you certainly are in excellent physical condition. I've never seen reflexes that fast. I can't say for certain until the test results come back, but I don't see anything that would prevent you from carrying a child to term."  
  
"I like to stay in shape. I teach a martial arts class two nights a week and I'm also a student of Tendo Ranma."  
  
"I'm sorry, I've never heard of him."  
  
"He got married about six months ago. He used to be Saotome Ranma."  
  
Eguchi-sensei shook her head. "Sorry, still doesn't mean anything to me. I don't pay much attention to martial arts. I don't even watch sumo basho."  
  
"My apologies sensei. Sometimes I forget that not everything revolves around martial arts. But if you ever see Ranma in action, you'll never forget it. You think -I'm- fast? Ranma makes me look slow."  
  
"I'll take your word for it dear." The doctor paused for a moment before asking, "You've been charting your period, yes?"  
  
"Every twenty nine days like clockwork since I turned sixteen. Last one was two weeks ago, just like I put on the paperwork."  
  
"I like to verify these things. So you're fertile right now. I hope you didn't expect to get pregnant this cycle."  
  
"No sensei. My first choice for sperm donor is still thinking it over, and my second choice won't be back until Christmas."  
  
"Where is he now?"  
  
"I have no idea. The last two years, he's shown up around Christmas time and then dropped off the face of the Earth."  
  
"Sounds rather mysterious."  
  
"It is, a little bit. But Ono Tofu-sensei is a good man. If Ranma turns me down, I hope he'll be willing to donate.  
  
"Ono? Ono Tofu? Chiropractor? About 30 years old, fairly tall, brown hair, wears black all the time?  
  
"Yes, that's him sensei. How do you know him?"  
  
"I can't say I really know him, but I've think I met him once. Friend of mine sat in on the board hearing that determined if Ono would get his license despite his age. I think he was 18 or 19 at the time. But he was fully qualified, so they granted it. Hmm... I was meeting Hua-sensei for lunch... and yes, I was introduced to Ono after the hearing was over."  
  
"Kind of a wild coincidence don't you think?"  
  
"Not a coincidence at all. I once read that if you took two people at random, the chance they would know one another was something like 200,000 to 1. But the odds of them having an acquaintance in common was only 7 to 1. There was an American movie about the phenomenon, 'Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon' or something like that."  
  
"I'll have to ask next time I see him. Anyway, it'll be at least November before I can undergo fertilization. I've got a major tournament coming up next month and I'd rather not be pregnant at the time."  
  
"Martial arts tournament?"  
  
"Yep. City wide open style tourney. I'm competing in two divisions."  
  
"Well, good luck then. Now, if you convince this Ranma of yours to be the donor, I'd like to schedule an appointment with the both of you next month. That way we can see if he'll be suitable."  
  
"Well, his wife is five and a half months pregnant, so I'm pretty sure all the equipment works." Ukyo giggled while Eguchi-sensei smiled tolerantly. "But I'm sure we can work out something. And if it isn't Ranma, I'll bring in Tofu-sensei or Mousse."  
  
"Mousse?"  
  
"Third choice, and he's already agreed to be my sperm donor if the other two don't."  
  
"You've planned this out thoroughly, haven't you Kuonji-san?"  
  
"This is the most important thing I'll ever do in my life. I'm treating it very seriously and I have no intention of letting anything get in my way."  
  
-----  
  
The rest of the week went quietly enough. Ukyo finally got around to placing a 'Help Wanted' sign in the window. If that didn't work, she'd place some flyers at Furinkan High School and at her technical college. At the dojo, Ukyo was giving Mori Ichiro special instruction in use of the wooden combat spatula that Soun had constructed. It wasn't as flexible as his regular one, but Ukyo thought her student could adapt. Besides, he'd had some formal Kenjitsu training before coming to the Tendo/Saotome School of Martial Arts. It wasn't as if she was starting from scratch.  
  
Ukyo also spent time sparring with the other students who had been selected to compete. When she wasn't doing that, she was sparring with Ranma, Genma and Soun. Mostly freehand, which helped to build her speed. The three of them didn't use weapons enough to be much help there. She also built a new combat spatula for the tournament. One with the sharp edges ground off. Since points would be scored for touches, there was no need to risk accidentally cutting someone.  
  
It was Ranma's decision and not the tournament that held most of Ukyo's interest though. Ranma put her off for a couple of weeks saying that he was still thinking about it. It wasn't until the tournament was eight days away that Ukyo received any clue as to Ranma's thinking.  
  
Ranma had stopped by "Ukyo's As You Like It" without Akane. It was the first time he had done so in ages. After dealing with the customers who were already in the shop, Ukyo turned her attention to the man whom she wanted above all others to father her child.  
  
"Hey Ukyo. Ready for tonight's class?" Ranma asked in a nervous voice that didn't match the question.  
  
"Ranma, if that's really what you want to talk about, then yes, I'm ready. But I don't think you came here to ask me that. So just get to the point."  
  
The shy, unconfident young man she hadn't seen in ages had suddenly made a comeback. Ukyo feared that he finally had an answer and the answer was 'no'.  
  
"If I weren't married to Akane, I might've said 'yes' by now," Ranma admitted slowly. "Well... as long as Shampoo wasn't around."  
  
"Would you have said to 'yes' to Shampoo if she had ever asked and you weren't married to Akane?"  
  
"If I weren't married to Akane, you, Shampoo and Kodachi would all still be chasing me," Ranma answered exasperatedly.  
  
"That's not an answer. Whether it's true or not."  
  
"All right. No, I would never have donated to Shampoo. I wouldn't want my kid to grow up in the Joketzu village being treated like dirt if he turned out to be a boy. Or growing up without me whether it was a boy or a girl. I wouldn't have wanted Cologne to raise my kid, and I knew -that- before the old ghoul went nuts there at the end. That's why Shampoo was never a real option.  
  
"What if Akane had asked in the same situation?" Ukyo asked while her subconscious mind noted the phrase 'real option'.  
  
"I don't like hypertext... hypothalamus... hype... 'what ifs'. I'm married to Akane. That's reality. It's also the problem. Akane doesn't want me to do this. She won't tell me why and doesn't want to talk about it. Between this, the baby and the tournament next week, there's a lot of stress right now. I know you haven't seen much of it, but believe me, it's there."  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't want this to cause problems between you and Akane. I still don't."  
  
"Mom on the other hand was a breeze to talk to about all this. She's in favor and let's me know it on a regular basis. Heck, to hear her talk, she'd like you to be my mistress."  
  
"Not gonna happen," Ukyo monotoned.  
  
"I know that. I think she knows it too, but she wouldn't mind a bit. Despite the fact that it would wreck my marriage."  
  
"Ranma, -I- don't want to wreck your marriage. If it's that important to you and Akane, you're off the hook. Mousse agreed to be the donor if you and Tofu-sensei turn me down."  
  
"I know, but can't you see. That's the point. I don't want to turn you down," Ranma said quietly. Ukyo's heart leapt so high that she almost missed what came next. "But the decision isn't mine alone. I'm not going to do this without Akane's approval, and I don't see how to get it. But I'm not going to risk my marriage over this either."  
  
'If I'd only got to finish that damn conversation,' Ukyo told herself. "Ranma, I think you shouldn't talk to Akane about this. I've got to be the one who does it. But it'll have to be after the tournament."  
  
Ranma showed surprise at the statement. "Why?" he asked, clearly puzzled.  
  
"Well, everyone is going to be pretty stressed until the tournament's over. No sense bringing this to a head when we're all under pressure anyway."  
  
"Good point," Ranma acknowledged.  
  
"It'll also give me time to prepare what I'll have to say. Which is something I'm going to have to think about."  
  
Ranma, feeling the conversation over, got up to head back to the dojo and prepare for his class. The restaurant's door chime rang. It was Kasumi arriving to cover for Ukyo so that Ukyo could attend that night's Anything Goes class. After a moment of briefing Kasumi about what was going on that night, Ukyo left with Ranma.  
  
As she left her home and place of business, she thought, 'I really need to talk to Kasumi. Maybe she knows why Akane is objecting to this so much.'  
  
-----  
  
Ukyo didn't get a chance to talk to Kasumi until after her Monday morning classes at the technical school. When she arrived, there were only a couple of customers present, people she didn't recognize, but they were eating so Kasumi wasn't busy at the moment. Ukyo changed into her 'working clothes' and asked Kasumi to stay for a bit. After they got settled, Ukyo set out tea for both of them and began her pitch.  
  
"Kasumi, I've talked to every one else about having a child," she began. "I realized Friday night that I've never really talked to you about it."  
  
"You know you have my support. I just want everything to work out for you."  
  
"You want everything to work out for everybody," Ukyo said almost accusingly before sipping her tea. It was too hot.  
  
Kasumi thought about it for a second before answering Ukyo's 'charge', "True, I guess. Hard work deserves a reward. The problems come when your 'reward' is at cross purposes with someone else's 'reward'."  
  
"You mean when me, Shampoo and Kodachi were chasing Ranma."  
  
"That's a very good example. It's also part of the reason that Akane doesn't want her husband to father your children. She nearly died at Jusendo."  
  
"They all could have died at Jusendo," upon seeing Kasumi's expression harden, Ukyo quickly added, "but I see your point."  
  
"Do you?"  
  
"Kasumi, I've always been willing to die for Ranma. Mostly because I know he would do the same for me."  
  
"Whereas Kodachi and Shampoo always seemed ready to kill for Ranma instead," Kasumi countered. "Ranma is willing to lay his life on the line for anyone. It's one of the things I love most about him. But your stance was more like his. That's why I always considered you as Akane's only real rival."  
  
"So what's the big deal? Akane won. She married the man I loved." Ukyo forced herself to continue, "Oh, who am I kidding? I still love him, and I always will. It took me long enough to realize that he loves Akane more, but I can live with that and go on with my life."  
  
"But that's where the problem is. You're ready to go on with your life. Ranma is ready to go on with his life. Akane is still scared."  
  
"Scared of what?"  
  
"That she'll lose Ranma to you if he goes through with this."  
  
Ukyo was dumbfounded. "Akane doesn't want Ranma to father my child because she's afraid that I'll take him away from her?" Ukyo said it loud enough to draw the attention of her customers. After a moment of mutual embarrassment the two customers settled their tab and left.  
  
"Exactly," Kasumi stated after they had left. "Akane always thought that you were the only one who could ever take Ranma away from her."  
  
"We all tried."  
  
"Yes. Obsessively. Shampoo was clearly the most aggressive of you three. I don't recall you or Kodachi showing up nude in the furo with Ranma. But despite the number of times that Akane hit Ranma for being with Shampoo, I can only think of the one time with the Contrary Jewel that Ranma ever instigated anything that wasn't related to curing his curse."  
  
"What about Kodachi?" Ukyo asked.  
  
"The girl was unwell," Kasumi stated before sipping her tea. Afterwards, she continued, "Akane knew that, even if she preferred to blame Ranma for any problems with Kodachi. You on the other hand, were Ranma's childhood friend. You had special nicknames for each other. You were 'cute' and a good cook. You had history. You were always nicer to Ranma than she was. Akane always wondered how she could compete with all of it."  
  
"Considering the results, she did pretty damn good."  
  
Kasumi sighed and tried a new tack. "In some important ways, Akane is very insecure. Yes she 'won'. She married Ranma. But I think, deep in her heart, she's still afraid. She's pregnant and having Ranma's child. Then here you come, also wanting Ranma's child. And saying that you'll let Ranma be a part of the child's life. And saying that he can take the child on long training trips if -you- go with them."  
  
"My terms applied to Ranma, Tofu-sensei and Mousse equally. What's the problem?" Ukyo had an idea where this was leading, but she wanted confirmation.  
  
"She sees all of this, perhaps not consciously, as you attempting to steal away her husband. Akane's not worried about you becoming his mistress. Akane's terrified that you'll become his wife. The problem is that you really want Ranma to father your child. If Tofu or Mousse or anyone else for that matter were the donor, she wouldn't really care. But she considers Ranma 'hers' and thinks that you want to steal him away."  
  
"I thought I had made it clear that I don't want to marry anybody."  
  
"You've previously said that Ranma is the only man you would ever marry. Akane believes this. She also doubts her own ability to be a good wife. Mostly because she has no idea what a good wife should be like."  
  
"Depends on your definition."  
  
"Yes. Different men have different needs. So there is no one single answer. Ranma, because of his curse, had needs different from most men. He needed acceptance, of which he got more from you than from Akane. Honestly, if Ranma had not been cured, I think eventually the two of them would have split up for good. Also, Akane didn't have much in the way of role models available. And as much as I like Nodoka-san, I don't consider her a good role model for modern women."  
  
"I always figured you as pretty much a traditionalist."  
  
"I'm not -that- traditional. If I were, I wouldn't work here. But back to the topic at hand. Akane's desire to be a 'good wife' was one of the main reasons she tried so hard to cook. She didn't have the patience for it and everyone, including Akane, knew it. But she tried because she thought that she had to be the one who did the cooking. It wasn't until Ranma and I told her that not knowing how to cook wouldn't make her less of a wife that she stopped trying so hard. When she stopped trying so hard, that's when she started getting better."  
  
"I thought Ranma put in a 'taste first' rule," Ukyo said, letting herself be lead off topic.  
  
"That was pure self-defense. I added the 'read and measure' rule to get her to slow down, which kept her from her worst mistakes. But two years later, she still tries to improvise too much. She simply doesn't have a flair for cooking. That's why I still give Ranma occasional cooking lessons."  
  
"Which is all very nice, but I think we're getting pretty far afield here. Akane thinks I'm trying to take Ranma away from her by having his kid. That's the main thing, right."  
  
"I was using the example of Akane's cooking to illustrate her own self-doubts. Akane still thinks that you are 'better' than her. Everything she does poorly, you do well. Everything she does well, you do better. Despite the fact that Ranma loves her and married her, deep down inside, she's still fighting that same old battle. She sees Ranma fathering your child as the first step along the road to losing him to you. As long as that step isn't taken, she feels safe."  
  
Ukyo swallowed a large gulp of hot tea and rubbed her temples. "Kasumi, I think your probably right about all this. At least I know what I have to deal with now. Thank you very much for your help." The two women didn't say anything of consequence as they finished their tea. They just sat quietly until the door to the restaurant opened and Ukyo got ready to greet her newest customer.  
  
"Don't do anything rash," Kasumi offered as she got ready to leave.  
  
"I gave up rash. I didn't like the results I was getting," Ukyo answered before greeting her next customer.  
  
-----  
  
The official notification of first round matches arrived at the Tendo/Saotome school of Martial Arts the Tuesday before the tournament. Ukyo had drawn two first round byes, so she would have plenty of time to observe Mori Ichiro's first round match. She would see how his training in Okonomiyaki Martial Arts stood up to more traditional styles.  
  
She hadn't been able to obtain permission to set up her yattai. The convention center where the tournament was being held had its own vendors already set up. She decided to shut down for the weekend anyway. She would be busy and it would allow Kasumi to attend the tournament too. Ukyo looked over the schedule and tried to decide if she should root on the members of her own team or scope out the opposition. Not knowing when anyone would have their second round matches made scheduling to watch more than one person difficult. The blind draw format made scouting out opponents difficult, but not impossible. But being entered in two different categories made scouting the opposition much worse. There were just too many possibilities to keep track of.  
  
Knowing she could rely on her skills, Ukyo eventually decided to keep her eyes open for anything interesting. She also made sure her watch was set properly. 'Wouldn't do to be disqualified for showing up late for a match.'  
  
Friday after school, there was a small party held at 'Ukyo's As You Like It' for those who were competing in the tournament the next morning. Ranma and Akane had been invited. It was their school after all. Akane pleaded illness, and Ranma stayed with his wife. Ukyo knew that Akane was still avoiding her. 'Fine, we'll settle it after,' she told herself while she started cooking okonomiyaki for ten.  
  
-----  
  
Children of the Heart - Tournament goes here.  
  
-----  
  
Ukyo returned to her home weary from the post tournament party that had been held at the dojo. The trophy she had brought home wasn't for a championship, but for being runner up in Women's Open Freehand. Losing to Kuno in the quarter finals of the Men's Open Weapon wasn't a problem with her. After all, losing to the eventual champion was no shame.  
  
'Besides, if I had wanted hardware, I would have entered Women's Open Weapons. I'd have swept that easy enough,' Ukyo thought as she placed the trophy on her desk and prepared for bed. 'Though if I hadn't seen Genma win Men's Open Freehand with my own eyes, I'd have never believed it. Heck, if he'd had more time to recover, he'd've won Men's Open Open too.'  
  
Ukyo crawled into bed and pulled her covers up to her chin. Glancing at her alarm clock, she shuddered at the thought of having to get up in five hours. So, tired and her mind emptied of other concerns, she went to sleep without worrying about the other problems in her life.  
  
-----  
  
Even though Ukyo was spending a lot of time at the dojo, it took her several days to track down Akane. Even Genma had realized that his daughter-in-law was avoiding the okonomiyaki chef. Soun was avoiding her as well, but Soun wasn't the one she needed to talk to. Akane was the one who controlled her life at the moment. It was a feeling Ukyo didn't like at all.  
  
But there were only so many times Akane could be out of the house, or at her doctor's or attending classes or needing quiet to study. Ukyo eventually caught up with her at the dojo. Ranma was teaching a ladies self defense class, Kasumi was minding the store and Soun was with an architect discussing the possibility of expanding the dojo. By sheer persistence, and by blowing off her Accounting II class, Ukyo managed to track down her quarry.  
  
"Hello Akane, we need to talk," Ukyo stated calmly.  
  
Akane held up a handful of papers and replied, "Now's not a good time, I ha-"  
  
"We -need- to -talk-," Ukyo reiterated forcefully.  
  
Akane slumped in defeat and led Ukyo to her old room. It now looked as if Ranma and Akane were using it as an office. There were a couple of desks with chairs and other office type stuff. Akane sat in one of the chairs, Ukyo turned the other backwards and straddled it.  
  
Akane started, "You wanted to talk, let's talk."  
  
"All right then, let me get straight to the point. Please, correct me if I'm wrong. You don't care if I get pregnant, you just don't want Ranma to be the father."  
  
"That's a harsh way of putting it."  
  
"But it's accurate. Right?"  
  
Akane thought for a moment before replying. "I think you are rushing into this. You're still young. You don't have to have a baby now."  
  
"You're right. I don't have to. I choose to."  
  
"It's not supposed to be that easy!" Akane shouted.  
  
"What?" Ukyo was caught completely off guard by Akane's reply.  
  
"I said 'It's not supposed to be that easy'."  
  
"I heard what you said. But what the hell do you mean?"  
  
"Why do you always get what you want? Why is everything so easy for you? You're pretty. There are dozens of guys who want to go out with you. You run a successful business at the age of nineteen. You're worth what? 25 - 30 million yen? You're a better fighter than I am. You just took second place in a major tournament competing in your weakest division. And now? You choose to have a child. Just like that. It's all so damned easy for you. Wake up one day, and ask MY husband to be the father of YOUR baby."  
  
"If I got everything I wanted, I'd have married Ranma before you did. So, quite obviously, I don't get everything I want."  
  
"But don't you dare deny the rest of it."  
  
"Akane, quit being a jackass. In case you hadn't noticed it, Ranma loves you. Not me."  
  
"That isn't the point!"  
  
"Then tell me. What is? I'm not the one that had a horde of hormone crazed boys trying to beat me up for a date. That was you, remember? As for the okonomiyaki, I've doing that since I was five. After devoting fourteen years of my life to it, I should hope I'm good at it."  
  
"But.."  
  
"I'M NOT DONE YET! You think it's easy to run a restaurant? It ain't. But with all the practice I've had, I've got pretty good at that too. As for money? Last time I calculated my net worth, it was closer to 35 million yen. But over 32 million of that is tied up in the restaurant between the building, the fixtures and the rest of it. I don't ask about the dojo's finances, you leave mine alone. And as for fighting? Does that make one damned bit of difference? Does it?"  
  
"N-no," Akane stammered.  
  
"Well, I'm glad to see we agree on something. I placed second in a tournament. Big hairy deal. You'd have done just as well if you'd been allowed to compete. I'm faster than you, you're stronger than me. Deal with it, because I have."  
  
"O.K. Fine. Whatever," Akane said exasperatedly. "Let's leave the rest of it out of this. Why do you want MY husband to be the father of your child?"  
  
"Because Ranma's the best man I know," Ukyo stated calmly. "He's also my best friend."  
  
"But he's my husband!"  
  
"Didn't we already go through this part? I'm not trying to steal him away from you. I'm not asking to be his mistress."  
  
"That's it. You won't try. You don't have to 'try'. It'll just 'happen'. If you have his baby, do you think he -won't- be a part of your child's life?"  
  
"Truthfully? No. But then I think Tofu-sensei or Mousse would want to be part of their child's life too, so I'm not buying that particular argument."  
  
"But Ranma would want to, whether you asked him to or not. I can't speak for Tofu-sensei, but if you told Mousse 'Get Lost', he'd be gone like that," Akane finished with a snap of her fingers.  
  
"Mousse would. Mousse also has full faith in my ability to bring up a child with or without his presence."  
  
"That's because he comes from an Amazon society where men do what women tell them."  
  
"True. I won't even try to deny it. But what I said about the father of my child being allowed to visit whenever he wanted applied to all three of them. Not just Ranma."  
  
"You know Ranma would want to be involved. Where will I be if he's always visiting you? I don't want to lose my husband. Not after all we went through. Not after Jusendo. Not after Cologne. Not after all the curses, the cures, the weirdness, the fights, the kidnappings, the rivals, the... the..." Akane broke down in tears.  
  
Ukyo waited until Akane settled down before she quietly asked, "Do you have that little faith in him?" Before Akane could answer, she continued. "Do you honestly think he put himself through nine kinds of hell for you because he didn't love you? Shampoo, Kodachi and I did everything we could to break you two up. And despite it all, who did he always turn to, who did he fight hardest for, who did he -love-? You. Always you."  
  
Akane was still sobbing softly as Ukyo continued, "Oh sure, he'd talk to me. I was one of the few people who would listen even part of the time. Ranma always said the biggest problem he had wasn't Kuno, or Ryoga or school or any of his other fiancees. It was that you didn't trust him. I know you got over that or you wouldn't have married him. Why won't you trust him now?"  
  
"Th- that's... That's not it."  
  
"Is it me? You don't trust me? Remember, if Ranma says 'no', then I wait for Tofu-sensei to show up. If they both say 'no', Mousse already said 'yes'."  
  
"No... no... I... I... Oh god, you're right. I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry," Akane choked out before crying freely once more.  
  
Ukyo had no idea what Akane was sorry about. Instead of waiting for Akane to dry up on her own, she got up from her chair and comforted her friend. Akane had put off a day of emotional reckoning for over three weeks. She paid for it then. It was a good ten minutes before Akane spoke again.  
  
Akane sniffed twice and wiped the final few tears from her face before she said, in a subdued voice, "It's just... Ranma does love me. It's just... It's just that I always found it so hard to believe sometimes. I was always so jealous when he spent time with you. I knew Ranma felt nothing for Kodachi and if Ranma felt anything for Shampoo, he wouldn't have done what he did after the first wedding. Oh god, all the horrible things I've done to him because of Shampoo."  
  
It looked like Akane would start crying again, but she pulled herself together. "But you. I thought, right up until the day of Ryoga and Akari's wedding, that he'd still choose you over me. That despite everything that happened, you'd still manage to take him away from me."  
  
"Why?" Ukyo remembered the occasion. She also remembered that talk of Ranma and Akane's wedding didn't start in earnest until after that day.  
  
"Because you loved him more than I did. You loved him unconditionally. My love had so many strings attached that you could have tied the Dojo Destroyer down with them."  
  
Ukyo nearly laughed at the comparison. "I'm going to tell you this again, and I'm going to keep on telling you until you believe me or beat me unconscious. Ranma... loves... you."  
  
Akane gave off a manic laugh tinged with sadness. "I know, I know, I know. It's just, someplace deep down inside me still doubted, was still afraid. You dragged that piece of me out and I think, between us, we've finally stomped it to death." Akane stood up straight, serenely confidant about her life and her love for the first time in a long while. "I've got nothing to fear. I can honestly say that now. Thank you Ukyo. Thank you so very much." Akane bowed to her friend.  
  
Ukyo returned the bow and replied, "You're welcome Akane."  
  
"Let's go tell my husband he gets to be a father again." With that, Akane and Ukyo left the room and headed for the dojo.  
  
-----  
  
Epilogue: 42 weeks later  
  
"Push! Push hard!" Eguchi-sensei called out to Ukyo.  
  
"RRRAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHH! I am pushing dammit!" Ukyo screamed back. She had been in labor for 12 hours and was somewhat worse the wear for it. But then, so were the three sets of padded grips she had crushed since reaching full dilation.  
  
Akane called out her own encouragement. "You can do it Ukyo!" Ranma had been invited to witness the birth, but he said he would rather stay in the waiting room with everyone else. He'd done the same when Ranko had been born.  
  
"I can see the head! One more big push and your baby will be born."  
  
Pant Pant Pant Pant "RRRRAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Ukyo bore down with more effort than any she had ever used in fighting or cooking and brought her child into the world.  
  
There was the sound of a smack and a set of new born lungs could be heard making their presence known. "It's a girl."  
  
-----  
  
A few minutes later, Akane entered the maternity waiting room. Kasumi was feeding Ranko her bottle and enjoying every minute of it. Nodoka and Genma were sitting quietly, trying not to show their nervousness. Konatsu had heard about the impending birth and returned from wherever it was he had disappeared to. For the occasion, he had ditched his traditional feminine kimono in favor of blue jeans and a grey dress shirt. He was pacing alongside Ranma in the part of the room designed for such activity. Akane pulled down her mask and gave a discrete cough to get everyone's attention.  
  
"It's a girl, 3.1 kilos, 51 centimeters. Mother and daughter doing fine," Akane stated while wearing her cutest smile.  
  
The news was taken well by everyone in the room. (Even though Nodoka had been secretly hoping for a boy.) A few pats on the back were given and quite a few chocolate "cigars" were exchanged between the people present. Akane pulled off her mask and headgear and took over the feeding of her daughter from her elder sister.  
  
"Can we see her?" asked everyone.  
  
"The doctors want to give Ukyo a chance to recover and some time alone with the baby. Figure a couple of hours minimum," Akane replied while holding her own child. "Don't you remember the drill from when Ranko was born?"  
  
"Yeah yeah, whatever," Ranma retorted. "I'm starving, let's go get something to eat.  
  
Akane was tempted to hand Ranko back to Kasumi and mallet Ranma for the first time since Ranko's birth, but the growling of her own stomach betrayed her. In the end, everyone managed to get packed up and down to the hospital cafeteria.  
  
After dinner, which was memorable only because Ranma said, "Ugh. Even you cook better than this Akane", everyone went up to Ukyo's room. Ukyo was propped up, holding her daughter in her arms.  
  
"Hi guys," Ukyo greeted the group cheerfully before her eyes expanded upon seeing an unexpected face. "Konatsu? When did you get here? It's been what? Over three years?"  
  
"About eight hours ago, Ukyo-san" the former waitress replied. "I came as soon as I heard."  
  
"Who told you?" asked Ukyo, although in her mind she thought 'Ukyo-san, not Ukyo-sama. That's a change. But we've all changed so much.'  
  
"That would have been me," Kasumi put in.  
  
Ranma followed this with, "If she hadn't, I would've. You deserve to have as many friends with you as possible."  
  
Ukyo thought about it for a few seconds before answering. "Thank you Kasumi. Thanks to all of you. Now, I'd like to introduce you to my daughter, Kuonji Ritsuko."  
  
END  
  
Children of the Heart  
  
-----  
  
Author's Notes: I came up with the plot for this first, the end second, and then I wrote the rest of it. Rumiko Takahashi has stated that "Akane gets Ranma" and that "Nannichuan would cure Ranma." I decided to try and write one that way for a change even though Akane is third on my "Who would Ranma be happiest with" list, after Kasumi and Ukyo.  
  
This took a lot longer to write than I had originally planned. I had originally planned on only one side story, "Quarter Decade" to cover the time from the failed wedding to the real opening of this story. But when I working on that, certain events shouted out for more attention than a single side story could provide. So I wrote "The Cure" and "Final Battle".  
  
After I got those two out of my system, I came up with the idea of the Tendo/Saotome school being invited to its first major tournament. As the tourney section grew and grew, I chose to split it off into its own story before it completely took over this one. The tourney took a week to write and it's the fastest I've -ever- produced 40 pages. I even built a spreadsheet to keep track of everything. I also found that section worked better if not told from Ukyo's viewpoint. There was too much I wanted to show for just one character to see. Which is why the viewpoint varies so much in that story. (Meaning yes, I did it on purpose.)  
  
Think I'll take a break from Ranma for a while. I don't want to get pigeon-holed into writing in just one fandom. Next up, Battletech! If I continue to write at the same speed I have up until now, I'll see you sometime in March or April.  
  
Ghost in the Machine  
  
gitm@amaxx.com  
  
Version 1.0 completed 2/5/2001 Version 1.1 completed 2/25/2001  
  
If you find any major problems in this story or the related side stories, drop me a line so I can fix the problems. When I screw up, I like to go back and fix things. 


End file.
